Disappointed Alam baffled at national team snub
Batsman disgruntled on being sidelined despite impressive domestic record.
Despite being sidelined from the national team, Fawad Alam said he will continue his pursuit of playing for Pakistan again. PHOTO: AFP
KARACHI:
Having not donned the national colour for almost three years now, left-handed batsman Fawad Alam has questioned his endless snub from the national team despite being a consistent performer in the domestic circuit.
Alam, who struck a century on his Test debut against Sri Lanka in 2009, played just two more games the same year before being discarded from the longer version. He scored 250 runs from these matches at an average of just below 42.
The 27-year-old last represented Pakistan in a Twenty20 game against New Zealand in December 2010 and his last One-Day International (ODI) game was against South Africa, a month ago in Dubai. He averages around 38 in the 27 matches he played.
Since his snub, the middle-order batsman has regularly featured in domestic events for his departmental and regional teams.
He also had a notable last season as he averaged over 66 runs in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy with a total of 534 runs from ten innings for Karachi Whites while in the President’s Trophy, he scored 535 runs at an average of over 38 for NBP. In the President’s One-Day Cup, Alam amassed 214 runs from four innings at an average of over 71.
Despite his impressive domestic performance, Alam said he was baffled at being constantly ignored for the national team.
“It’s not just that,” Alam told The Express Tribune. “I have been performing consistently since the last three years and have scored in the thousands.
“It’s beyond me why I am nowhere in the scene for national selection. I am looking for reasons as others are making comebacks regularly.”
Earlier this year, Alam along with Sohail Khan and Khalid Latif, was banned by the Karachi City Cricket Association for 12 months for criticising their coach former cricketer Tauseef Ahmed during the Super Eight Twenty20 competition.
But Alam insisted indiscipline was not the reason for the ‘ordeal’.
“I played PCB’s Ramazan Twenty20 event. I would not have been allowed if that was the case. I’ve been ignored for selection since before the ban. As for the ban, I am hopeful to get it lifted soon.”
Alam said he will not give up and will continue striving to play for Pakistan again.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 23rd, 2013.
Having not donned the national colour for almost three years now, left-handed batsman Fawad Alam has questioned his endless snub from the national team despite being a consistent performer in the domestic circuit.
Alam, who struck a century on his Test debut against Sri Lanka in 2009, played just two more games the same year before being discarded from the longer version. He scored 250 runs from these matches at an average of just below 42.
The 27-year-old last represented Pakistan in a Twenty20 game against New Zealand in December 2010 and his last One-Day International (ODI) game was against South Africa, a month ago in Dubai. He averages around 38 in the 27 matches he played.
Since his snub, the middle-order batsman has regularly featured in domestic events for his departmental and regional teams.
He also had a notable last season as he averaged over 66 runs in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy with a total of 534 runs from ten innings for Karachi Whites while in the President’s Trophy, he scored 535 runs at an average of over 38 for NBP. In the President’s One-Day Cup, Alam amassed 214 runs from four innings at an average of over 71.
Despite his impressive domestic performance, Alam said he was baffled at being constantly ignored for the national team.
“It’s not just that,” Alam told The Express Tribune. “I have been performing consistently since the last three years and have scored in the thousands.
“It’s beyond me why I am nowhere in the scene for national selection. I am looking for reasons as others are making comebacks regularly.”
Earlier this year, Alam along with Sohail Khan and Khalid Latif, was banned by the Karachi City Cricket Association for 12 months for criticising their coach former cricketer Tauseef Ahmed during the Super Eight Twenty20 competition.
But Alam insisted indiscipline was not the reason for the ‘ordeal’.
“I played PCB’s Ramazan Twenty20 event. I would not have been allowed if that was the case. I’ve been ignored for selection since before the ban. As for the ban, I am hopeful to get it lifted soon.”
Alam said he will not give up and will continue striving to play for Pakistan again.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 23rd, 2013.